Blessing For Children
Last Sunday, as students of all ages “go to school,” Pine Valley United Methodist Church sang, “The Blessing” by Elevation Worship, over our children. It was so powerful to be able to stand inside with other believers and sing, “May His favor be upon you, And a thousand generations, And your family and your children, Their children, and their children, May His presence go before you, And behind you, and beside you, All around you, and within you, He is with you, He is with you, In the morning, in the evening, In your coming, and your going, In your weeping, and rejoicing, He is for you, He is for you.” I thought of all of the parents sending their children off to school for the first time, all the children who do not get to go to school, the children who need school for a safe place and meals, the college students who are going away for the first time, the college students who are already coming back due to COVID-19, those who have limited resources for homeschooling - whether the tools or the parents. I sang out for my girls and their children and their children, for a thousand generations.
“The Blessing” comes from Numbers 6:24-26, which God instructed Moses to tell Aaron to give to Israel’s people. “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” You have probably heard this blessing given at the end of church services. It was our Methodist Youth Fellowship benediction. This song is so powerful and sacred because we are declaring scripture out loud. It is truth, and we can trust it! “May His favor be upon you and a thousand generations and your family and your children and their children, and their children.” God will bless us, keep us, show favor towards us, and grant us grace and peace for a thousand generations! Let that soak in! Exodus 20:6, “but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.” We are singing for our family for a thousand generations! We are told again in Deuteronomy 7:9, “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.” We are reminded what we do affects generations to come. Psalm 103:17-18, “But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children—with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.”
God's blessings are the good things He does for us, whether in our spiritual life, circumstances, provision, etc. The important thing is that we remember all good things come from God. Psalm 103:2, “Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—to find out.” I cannot tell you how many times I have been having anxiety over something and turned to God, and He gave me supernatural peace. I have miraculously received the exact amount of money in the mail that I needed to pay an unexpected bill. He has set me free from sin. He has healed me. These are all God’s blessings in my life. We have the privilege of praising God for Who He is and for the good things He has done in our lives.
“May His presence go before you And behind you, and beside you. All around you and within you. He is with you…” He loves us. He is for us. Even in uncertain times, times of fear, loss, hurt, and disappointment, we can trust that He is with us. God is for us all the time! It does not matter the time, location, or situation. He is there pouring His favor on us! The more we stay in God’s Word, the more we see His character, and the more we trust Him. He keeps His promises! He works on our behalf! He will never leave us. We are never without hope. Our circumstances may feel uncertain, but we can stand on the certainty that God is faithful! When we want to receive God’s blessing, we respond with “Amen.”
As school starts, PVUMC has been praying for the students, teachers, staff, and parents. Since we partner with Pine Valley Elementary School, we donated $1,300 for school supplies and Friday we purchased 75 boxed lunches from Chick-Fil-A for the teachers and staff. We put stickers on top with, “‘Apply your hearts to instruction, and your ears to words of knowledge.’ Proverbs 23:12 From your friends at PVUMC”. We delivered them to a very grateful staff!
May you experience God’s supernatural presence, peace, and favor in your life, the lives of your family, your children, their children, and their children! Amen!